Classic Tarte Flambée
— Serves 4
Recipe courtesy of Luisa’s Catering
Tarte flambée is a well-known Alsatian specialty. Depending on the region, this dish can be called Tarte flambée (French), Flammekueche (Alsatian), or Flammkuchen (German). It’s like pizza in that a thin crust of dough is baked in a very hot oven but its toppings are primarily crème fraîche or fromage frais, onions, and bacon. Like many traditional regional dishes, there are innumerable ways of preparing it. Here is one delicious example.
*Items marked in green are available from The Gourmet Corner.
Suggested wine pairing: Saumur Blanc, Reserve des Vignerons 2008
Pate À Pain
- 1⅔ cups all purpose unbleached flour, or more as needed
- ½ tsp active dry yeast
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup lukewarm water
- 1 large egg
- 1 Tbs olive oil
Topping
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 Tbs Échiré unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Splash of balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup Fromage Frais
- 8 strips of smoked bacon, partially baked, cut into matchsticks
- Freshly ground black pepper and grated nutmeg, to taste
- Fresh parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
Directions
You can make this dough in a bread machine set on the “dough cycle”
OR
Prepare a mixer with the dough hook attachment: whisk together the flour and salt in the mixer bowl. Make a well in the center, pour the water into the well, sprinkle the yeast on top, and leave for 5 minutes, or until the yeast is dissolved.
Mix the egg, and oil with fork, add them to the water/well. Knead with the machine on a lowest setting, until the dough is very elastic. Transfer to a large lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 45 minutes to an hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet (round or rectanglar) with parchment paper.
In a nonstick skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions, sugar, and balsamic and over medium-low heat caramelize for about 15-20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Knead the dough lightly to knock out the air on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the pâte à pain into a thin rectangle (12″ x 15″), or circle, transfer onto baking sheet.
Spread the fromage frais almost to the edge of the dough. Scatter with the caramelized onion, top with the bacon, and sprinkle with black pepper and nutmeg.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Transfer tart to a wooden board, garnish with parsley and cut into squares. Serve immediately while it’s hot.
Tags: bacon, fromage frais, onions